Spirit

Base spirits you'll see named on cocktail menus, from agave and cane to grape, grain and apple.

• absintheHigh-proof anise spirit with wormwood, often used as a rinse or a few drops.
• añejoTequila aged 1 to 3 years in oak (extra añejo: 3+).
• applejackAmerican apple brandy. Bottled-in-bond versions are the bartender pick.
• aquavitScandinavian spirit flavored with caraway or dill.
• armagnacBrandy from Gascony in France, older and more rustic cousin of cognac.
• arrackBatavia arrack is a funky Indonesian spirit from sugarcane and fermented red rice, used in old punches. (Arak from the Middle East is anise, a different drink.)
• bacanoraAgave spirit from Sonora, Mexico.
• baijiuChinese grain spirit, the most-drunk spirit in the world.
• bottled in bondUS label: one distillery, one season, aged 4+ years, bottled at 100 proof.
• bourbonAmerican whiskey, mostly corn, aged in new charred oak barrels.
• cachaçaBrazilian spirit distilled from fresh sugarcane juice, the base of the Caipirinha.
• calvadosApple (and sometimes pear) brandy from Normandy, France, aged in oak.
• clairinHaitian cane-juice rum, often made in small village stills.
• cognacGrape brandy from the Cognac region of France, aged in oak.
• demerara rumDark rum from Guyana, named after the Demerara river.
• eau de vieClear, unaged fruit brandy (kirsch is cherry, poire is pear, framboise is raspberry).
• geneverDutch and Belgian ancestor of gin, made with malt wine.
• grappaItalian brandy made from grape skins and seeds left after winemaking.
• IslayIslay is a Scottish island famous for peated whisky: barley dried over burning peat.
• Jamaican rumRum from Jamaica, often pot-distilled with long fermentations. "Hogo" or "funk" is its signature.
• London dryThe classic gin style: juniper-forward, no sugar added after distilling.
• mezcalMexican agave spirit; the agave hearts are roasted in earth pits before distilling.
• navy strengthGin (or rum) bottled at 57% ABV, the old British navy proof.
• Old Tom ginSlightly sweetened or rounder style of gin, popular in the 1800s.
• overproof rumRum bottled well above normal strength, often 57-75% ABV.
• pastisAnise-flavored spirits (pastis from France, ouzo from Greece, Herbsaint from New Orleans).
• piscoUnaged grape brandy from Peru or Chile, the base of the Pisco Sour.
• raicillaAgave spirit from Jalisco's coast and mountains, made outside the tequila rules.
• reposadoTequila or mezcal rested 2 to 12 months in oak.
• rhum agricoleFrench Caribbean rum (Martinique, Guadeloupe) made from fresh cane juice, not molasses.
• ryeWhiskey made mostly from rye grain. The classic base for a Manhattan or Sazerac.
• shochuJapanese distilled spirit from sweet potato, barley or rice. Not the same as sake.
• sotolNorthern Mexican spirit made from the desert spoon plant, a cousin of agave.
• tequila blancoUnaged tequila made only from blue Weber agave in Jalisco and nearby areas.

Other categories: Liqueur · Amaro & aperitivo · Wine & vermouth · Syrup & mixer · Bitters & seasoning · Technique · Drink family · Glass & serve · Botanical & raw ingredient